Brian Neil Peterson
Список книг автора Brian Neil PetersonGenesis as Torah
Should Genesis rightly be identified as law–that is, as torah or legal instruction for Israel? Peterson argues in the affirmative, concluding that Genesis serves a greater function than merely offering a prehistory or backstory for the people of Israel. As the introductory book to the Torah, Genesis must first and foremost be read as legal instruction for Israel. And how exactly is that instruction presented? Peterson posits that many of the Genesis accounts serve as case law. The Genesis narratives depict what a number of key laws in the pentateuchal law codes look like in practice. When Genesis is read through this lens, the rhetorical strategy of the biblical author(s) becomes clear and the purpose for including specific narratives takes on new meaning.
Hearing the Voice of God
Knowing when God is speaking to you is sometimes easier said than done. Indeed, many people question how God speaks to believers today or, in some cases, if he does at all. Yet, for the believer, hearing God's voice is vital for direction in one's life and for spiritual development. In this book, Peterson offers a practical guide for hearing God's voice by presenting numerous anecdotal accounts demonstrating how this has played out in his own life. At the same time, Peterson's instruction is securely anchored in the precedent of Scripture.
What was the Sin of Sodom: Homosexuality, Inhospitality, or Something Else?
Virtually every scholar on both sides of the same-sex discussion eventually addresses the account of Sodom found in Genesis 19. However, in recent years, scholars have tended to downplay the importance of this chapter in relation to this debate. This book challenges this trend and seeks to demonstrate how the account of Sodom plays a key role in our understanding of a God-ordained sexual ethic, especially in light of Genesis as Torah–instruction for both ancient Israel and for the Church.
Ezekiel in Context
One of the most perplexing and misunderstood books of the Bible, Ezekiel has left many scholars and exegetes scratching their heads regarding its message, coherency, and interpretation. Brian Peterson's look at the book of Ezekiel as a unified whole set within an exilic context helps explain some of the more difficult symbolic aspects in the book and makes Ezekiel as a whole more intelligible. Drawing on ancient Near Eastern concepts and motifs such as covenant and treaty curses, the various gods that made up the Babylonian pantheon, and the position that Israel held as the people of Yahweh, Peterson enlightens readers by showing that Ezekiel can only be understood in its original context. By placing the book first in its historical context, Peterson demonstrates how the original hearers of its message would have understood it, and how this message can be appreciated and applied by people today as well.